Sof Sole Airr Performance & Athlete Insoles

Along with the socks that Sof Sole sent me in April which I reviewed last week, I was also sent three pair of insoles to review as well. I received one men’s and women’s pair of Airr Performance Insoles and a women’s pair of Athlete Insoles. Obviously, I could not use the men’s insole so I offered those to one lucky male LV Running Scene fan to review. Todd Turbett was the first to offer to test them out and write a review. Both of the women’s insoles were size 5-7.5 and I wear a size 8 running shoe so I did not think it would fit my shoe. Elizabeth Klumpp offered to test and review the women’s Airr Performance Insole. Out of curiosity I removed the factory insoles from a pair of my running shoes and stuffed the Athlete Insoles into my shoes, just to see if they would fit (not expecting they would.) To my surprise, they fit, so I decided to test out the Athlete Insoles myself.

The Airr Performance Insole is rated for maximum cushioning for a medium arch. Coolmax fabric lines the top of the insole to wick sweat and absorb moisture. The Athlete Insole also offers maximum cushioning for a medium arched foot.

Review: Airr Performance Insole by Elizabeth Klumpp 

I am average. I am your run-of-the-mill, straight-down-the-middle female human runner. I have a neutral gait. I have never had a running injury, outside of the occasional ache or pain from running in old shoes. I don’t run fast, nor particularly slow (I average about a 9.5-minute mile), and I run about 15 miles a week when I am not training for a long-distance race, which I do a few times a year. I am kind of shrimpy in size, but still acceptably within the average range of size for a 42-year-old woman… Shoot! Even my age is in the middle ground there. Yep, I am average, and this average runner never thought she needed insoles for her running shoes. Why should I? Why fix something that isn’t broken? Still, I was a bit curious about them. The ad messages for insoles in the magazines and online running sites started to seep into my mind, which, in all its 42-year-old, running, female, average glory, is a very desirable place to be if you sell running products. So with interest piqued, I decided to give the Sof Sole Airr Performance Insole a try.

First, I was pleasantly surprised at how easily the insoles fit into my shoes … perfect! They were a match made in runner’s heaven—like the i-Pod and speed training or Body Glide and ..uh…erm ..body parts that rub together. Second, I was impressed with the instant bouncy cushion I felt when I put my running shoes on–I really was not anticipating feeling an immediate (and comfortable) difference like that. I must admit that at first I was worried because the Sof Sole definitely raised my heel about half an inch within my shoe, and I wondered if this would cause my shoe to rub my ankle or Achilles tendon differently. But my fears quickly dissipated as I started my first run. The cushion and bounce in my step was noticeable to me, but not distracting. It felt good and comfortable and…well…right.

My fears of the insoles changing my gait or causing my shoes to rub or chafe my feet dissolved after that first run. I felt confident enough to wrap up the last week of training for a half marathon wearing the Sofsoles. I ran that half marathon wearing them and went on to run another 10-miler race the next week. In my post-race(s) weeks, I have continued wearing the Sofsoles during my average weekly runs, and I must say I don’t think I will run without them again. They are light and comfortable, they cushion my heels in an oh-so-nice way, and they add a little spring to my step. And yes, while there were no problems I needed to “fix” in my running, so to speak, there is definitely something to be said for just plain making my shoes more comfortable!

Review: Airr Performance Insole by Todd Turbett

Some thoughts on the Sof Sole Airr Performance inserts that I tried. First off let me mention that they fit inside all three pair of my shoes great.I am a size 13 so there was no fudging to get them in there. I did notice they were rather thick and cushiony and was excited to get out and try them. I think the thickness of them was the down fall though. I did stick with them for a while and probably put about 30 miles on them. That may not seem like much but I have to tell you because of them being so thick I believe it tended to lift your foot higher in your sneaker and it became painful. I have a pair of road shoes I run in and that is what I tried first. I was hoping maybe it was just these pair of shoes and was hoping for something better when I switched them to my trail runners. Unfortunately the same result, lifting the foot higher into the shoe to the point where I was getting abrasion marks on the tops of my feet. I absolutely love my trail shoes and tend to do most of my running in them, including most road runs. I took them out and put the standard insert back in and it felt so much better. I truly believe this product would be better then a factory insert if they were somehow able to produce them in a thinner version. In each pair of shoes I did loosen the laces up to try to help but it really was not that effective. I do have some good news for you here though. I did switch them out to just a plain all purpose sneaker and did some power walking in them. They were very comfortable then even though I did have the laces fairly loose-something you really can’t do when running. If there is a thinner version manufactured someday I would once again be eager to give them a try.

Review: Athlete Insole by Jill Forsythe

I have never switched the manufacturer insoles out of any of my running shoes since I’ve picked up the running habit. Lucky for me I have no issues with my feet. That said, I was curious as to whether I would notice a difference between the manufacturer insoles and the Sof Sole Athlete insoles. I run in the New Balance 769, a motion control running shoe. I have 5 pair of shoes that I rotate throughout the week. I know, that’s a lot of shoes – two of the pair are at 400 miles and soon to be retired. I stuck the Sof Sole insoles into the middle pair, shoe #3 and noticed an immediate difference on the first day I ran with them. They felt cushioned and comfortable, there was no pain or rubbing or weirdness of any kind that I could associate with them. I’m not sure if any of you ever remove the insoles from your shoes to check on them, I have from time to time, especially when my shoe comes to the end of it’s running career. When you do that you would be amazed at how much the insoles actually break down over the course of 200-400 miles. There are definite wear spots where the insole becomes thin and this was the difference I noticed on that first run with the Sof Sole insoles, they felt new.

In total, I logged about 50 miles with the Sof Sole insoles. As the weeks wore on, I completely forgot which pair of shoes I had stuck them in, all of my shoes felt the same after a while. I suppose the positive side of this is that they caused me no pain, no issues. They felt comfortable and normal and good. On the flip side, they didn’t feel much different than the manufacturer insoles. When I take the New Balance insole out of my newest pair of running shoes (50 miles on them) and compare it to the Athlete insole there is a huge difference. The thickness may be similar but the Sof Sole has what they call “gel protection” which to me is some sort of plastic-rubbery stuff, but I can tell it will not break down as rapidly as the foam New Balance inserts.

I will definitely continue to use the Sof Sole Athlete insole for as long as I feel they work. I’m not certain of the typical lifespan of these insoles, which retail for $19.99 by the way, but I’m pretty sure they’ll last longer than 400 miles. At least that’s my guess. My rating: two thumbs up.

Sof Sole website: www.sofsole.com
Airr Performance Insole retails for $24.99
Athlete Insole retails for $19.99